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20 Fascinating Facts About Schools & Education Systems Around The World

We all know that education is a fundamental right of human beings. That is why it is usually taken very seriously by the governments of every country in the world. However, every country has its own education system and different way of doing things in the education system. Education curriculums and systems are unique to different countries and that is what makes the whole concept interesting. So what are some of the fascinating facts about schools and the different education systems you will find around the world?

1. A primary school in Tibet, is thought to be the highest school in the world

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In an area known as Phuma Changthang in Tibet, there is a primary school that is thought to be the highest school in the whole world. This is because of how close it is to the sky. This is mainly due to the explainable fact that it is located on Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain. It stands at 5,373 meters above sea level. Thus naturally, with the primary school at the mountain, it will be seen as a school located way up towards the sky.

2. The Shishi High School located in Chengdu, China is the world’s oldest school

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This school is considered the world’s oldest school as it was established in 194 AD hence earning this title. It was actually the first Chinese public school to ever exist then later in 1902, it became a modern school. Even though it is the oldest school, it has up-to-date and very high-quality equipment and supplies that provide modern education very comfortably.

3. A school in the Philippines is made entirely of recycled pop bottles

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Did you know that it is possible to have a whole building made of pop bottles? Well, it is a bit difficult to wrap your head around it but there is an actual school in the Philippines named the bottle school is very unique and one of its kind as it is entirely made up of recycled pop bottles. It is reported that it took about 9,000 bottles and very many volunteers to come together to build the structure. Each bottle was filled with water, sand, and straw in order to keep them sturdy and strong. A cement-like substance was used to hold them together and put them in a place where they were stacked on top of each other in order to create walls.

4. The largest school in the world is the City Montessori School in Lucknow, India

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When we say largest school, this is in terms of the number of students. The largest one is located in India and it is known as the City Montessori School. It actually entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the number of pupils attending the school. Currently, it has around 56,000 pupils attending on a daily basis.

5. In 2014, there was an elementary school in Italy that only had one teacher and one student

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We’ve discovered there is a very large school in India and on the same note, we have one that was considered the smallest. In 2014, an elementary school in Turin got that reputation of being so small because it had only one teacher and one student. Actually, this one student admitted to being lonely while in school and to just be sane, he had to imagine being with other students in the class. It wasn’t closed down, however. Officials decided to keep it open as long as there is one pupil in the school

6. The children in the Netherlands start school on their fourth birthday so there’s always someone new in class

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In the Netherlands, children start school only on their fourth birthday. So this means that every day there is a new student coming in. This may be a good thing though because it means that older students get more time to settle in and make friends. It also means that students should be at a similar development level by the time they are having their first day in school.

7. In France, mealtime is considered part of the curriculum

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In France, their curriculum is quite unique because even meal times are considered part of it. Even though typically children learn to eat at home, these skills in France are reinforced in schools where kids are expected to learn about different foods and where these delicacies actually come from. The aim is to also display good manners and etiquette. This is quite impressive actually because kids are taught to appreciate local suppliers of different foods. Very impressive.

8. Students in South Korea are expected to stay and help clean and tidy the classroom when lessons are over

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Another fun fact, students in South Korea are always expected to stay behind and help clean the classroom when lessons come to an end. Tasks can include sweeping, taking out trash, and even vacuuming. There’s no just walking out once classes are over.

FYI: This is pretty common in Kenyan schools. Cleaning the classrooms and taking out the trash is always the students’ responsibilities. In day schools, after lessons, students are expected to do the cleaning before heading home.

9. In Finland, children do not start school until the age of 7

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In Finland, the age of seven is considered the standard age for kids to start school. In many schools worldwide, this is pretty late but in Finland, it is a common scenario. On that note though, most children in Finland, attend very high-end and high-quality daycares or preschools. It could be why they start at that age because again it’s pretty high quality.

10. In Russia, children always start school on ‘Knowledge Day’ even if it’s a weekend or a holiday

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In Russian schools, they have a day known as ‘Knowledge Day’ and this is usually on September 1^st. It doesn’t matter whether the day falls on the weekend or a public holiday. They will be expected to go to school on that officially designated day. Usually, the morning starts with an assembly where the oldest students (these are typically students in the 11^th grade) take these new reporting first graders by hand and lead them into the school compound while ringing a ceremonial bell to commemorate the whole occasion. Well, it is a pretty unique and impressive tradition because in a way the older students are paving the way for the young ones and letting them know they will always be there for them throughout the journey. I think this tradition would solve so many bullying cases many schools worldwide suffer from.

11. In Bangladesh, there are a number of boat schools 

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Have you ever seen a boat school? I’m sure you are wondering what that would look like. In Bangladesh, this is very common because there are no less than 100 boat schools. There is a reason for this. In Bangladesh, they have many cases of flooding and these usually disrupt learning for thousands of students. In some areas, even the roads are impossible to use and rivers rise as high as 4 meters. Hence, the need for boat schools. Pretty genius actually. Each one of these schools is so advanced that they have internet access and a library and they are also solar-powered.

12. In a remote area of Colombia, kids have to travel to school on a zip line

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Very cool, right? You hear zip lining and you just picture an adventure. So in Colombia, there is a remote area there where this is the only mode of transportation. This area is known as Los Pinos and it is quite an isolated valley. However, for the sake of safety, very young kids are not allowed to use the zip lines alone. Instead, they travel along the cable with their parents or an older sibling who knows their around the steel wires. This is the most convenient mode of transportation because the alternative is having to walk through the rainforest. This is a bit more dangerous because of the animals and the fact that it would take them two hours to get to school.

13. There is a school in Germany that has been built to look like a giant white cat

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A bit laughable to be honest, but also very impressive when you think about it. This design for this school is actually a cat with even whiskers and circular windows for the eyes. Thus, when students enter the school building, they look like they are entering the mouth of a cat. When inside, it’s just like any other typical class but what’s even cooler, is that the tail of the cat which which is found at the back of the building doubles as a slide. Pretty fun actually. It would make children look forward to attending school every day.

14. Summer vacations in Chile start in mid-December and end in early March

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Every child looks forward to vacations. Thus to hear that in Chile vacations last for almost four months, the kids there must always be thrilled when school breaks. Three whole months. Wow! Must be heaven for them.

15. When starting school, children in Germany receive special paper cones called Schultüte

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Traditionally speaking, these cones are usually filled with sweets and candy and this is a brilliant way of making kids love school from their first day. We all know how unfavourable the idea usually is for every child who begins school. Children will find sweets alongside school supplies and toys in these paper cones but the catch usually is that they can only open these cones once they begin school. In a nutshell, this tradition is meant to celebrate, acknowledge and indicate that a child is now moving to the next stage of life which is the beginning of a formal education.

16. Kids in Japanese schools are the most independent and disciplined

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High discipline is part of the education system in Japan and this is a value that children are taught from a very young age. They usually travel to school alone, clean their own classes, and also serve their own lunch. Regardless of how young they are. In Japanese schools, there are typically no janitors or canteens in schools and on special occasions, they are allowed to bring their own lunch boxes although for most days they are allowed to eat the same meal with each other.

17. In Kenya, it is not mandatory to attend a pre-primary or early childhood development and education class before joining primary school

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For many years (before the introduction of the CBC curriculum recently), it was not mandatory for children to attend kindergarten. In many African countries, this is usually the case and it has always ensued very hot debates. Probably because of this Kenya decided to revise a bit of the curriculum and hence introduced the CBC curriculum where every child has to start their journey from kindergarten. No exception.

18. France has the shortest school year from August to June and also the longest school day

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The total school year in France does not actually exceed 36 weeks. In other countries, school days typically go over 40 weeks but in France, it is the opposite. Thus, in essence, France has the shortest school year and also the longest school day. Children in France go to school four days a week with their off days being Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Each day they have about two hours for lunch. School days begin at 8.30 a.m and end at 4.30 p.m. So as much as they have the shortest school year, they also have one of the longest school days.

19. China’s education system is said to be one of the best in the world

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Looking at the international tests, you will realize that indeed China students are quite outstanding. In fact, Shanghai was ranked number one in the world in all three categories of science, reading, and mathematics. Of course, controversies arose about those results but the fact remains that Asian students are some of the best and smartest we have.

20. Danish people take part in the educational system for their whole life

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In Denmark, the story is a little bit different because people here are actively involved in the education system their whole life. It is actually a tradition for them to participate as they believe that being very qualified education wise, is key for the future of the country. That’s why their workforce contains individuals who are very well-educated.

Education is indeed an important component and it is very interesting to see how different cultures from all over the world approach it differently. All the same, however, the students get to be impacted with knowledge at the end of the day.